Provost’s Award for an Exemplary Director of Graduate Studies

The Provost’s Award for an Exemplary Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) honors a full-time faculty member assigned with advising graduate students about program requirements, career prospects, funding possibilities, and other matters pertinent to graduate education; this award honors exemplary work done by directors of graduate studies as advisors and administrators.  Such work includes mastery of the program’s disciplinary and professional regulations, advocacy on behalf of students, development of curricular innovations designed to improve retention and degree completion, as well as enhancement of student academic and professional development initiatives, and commitment to strategic advising.

Dr. Deborah  Powers came to the University of Louisville in 2018. A member of the LEAD Department, she is a Clinical Assistant Professor, Program Director for the Education Administration and Leadership Ed.S. and Ed.D. programs, and Primary Investigator on the JCPS/Wallace Foundation Grant: Equity Centered Principal Pipeline Initiative. Before coming to the University of Louisville, she was a Project Coordinator for the Stuart Campus Middle School Redesign Initiative after 30 years of holding teaching and education leadership positions across the state of Kentucky. She has an Ed.D. from the University of Louisville. 

Dr. Powers had numerous letters of support, with one current student saying that “one of the most remarkable aspects of Dr. Powers’ directorship is her ability to balance administrative efficiency with a deep understanding of students’ individual needs. She not only ensures that the graduate program runs smoothly but also takes a holistic approach to student support.  Whether through one-on-one advising, connecting students with research opportunities, or providing guidance on academic and professional development, she continuously goes above and beyond to advocate for her students.” A colleague writes of her many contributions to program development, such as “overseeing the revision and updating of courses and programs to reflect the adoption of Professional Standards for Educational Leaders in Kentucky.” Further, he notes that she “saw a great potential for our program beyond the Louisville Metro area, and “singlehandedly recruited a cohort of doctoral students from Lexington and its suburbs or our first-ever blended-delivery program, expanding our reach and enrollments.”